Raven-Symoné apologises for 'discriminatory' comments

TV host Raven-Symoné has apologised for "discriminatory" comments she made on The View, insisting she didn't want to "victimise" anyone.

The 29-year-old star was targeted on Twitter after she and her co-stars watched a video of the most "ghetto" names on the latest episode of the talk show. It was argued Americans discriminate on the basis of names, with Raven commenting she wouldn't hire anyone called 'Watermelondrea'.

"I am very discriminatory against words like the ones that they were saying in the video," she stated on air. "I’m not about to hire you if your name is Watermelondrea. It’s just not going to happen. I’m not going to hire you."

On Sunday (11Oct15) she took to Facebook to clarify her words and apologise for any offence caused.

"My comments about discrimination have spun out of control," she wrote.

"I'd like to begin by saying that I was not attacking a specific race, but repeating a name that was said in a viral video which has received over 2 million likes.

"I have been denied many jobs because of my skin color, body size, and age. Each time I was rejected, my self esteem was negatively effected (sic), so i empathize with those who feel victimized by what I said."

She concluded by saying she wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem. Raven also added that while she made a comment about not hiring someone based on name, it wasn't actually true and that she'd never discriminated against anyone.

"My comment was in poor taste. My lack of empathy towards name discrimination was uncalled for," she summed up.

Raven's father Christopher B. Pearman also logged on to Facebook to stick up for his daughter. He clarified that while he doesn't agree with her comments, people should see it as the slip-up it is.

"Raven is a really Beautiful, Sweethearted, Human Being.I should know. Her Mother and I Love her Very much and will always support her and have her back. Even if sometimes..........she says some dumb S#%T! (sic)," he posted.